Medium scan method for use in disk device

Abstract

To provide a medium scan method which can be executed for a suitable region at suitable timing, a disk device comprises a storage medium for storing information, a writing unit for writing information to the storage medium by request from an upper device such as a host computer or the like, a medium monitoring unit for monitoring the state of the storage medium, and a medium scan determining unit for determining whether or not to require medium scan for the storage medium.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram explaining the outline of a disk device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram exemplifying a configuration of the disk device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic exemplifying a counter table used in a first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a write process to a magnetic disk, according to the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a medium scan process according to the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a schematic exemplifying a counter table according to the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a schematic exemplifying the count-up of the counter table shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a schematic exemplifying the count-up of the counter table shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a schematic exemplifying the count-up of the counter table shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a schematic explaining a medium scan range for which medium scan is made if a counter value according to the first preferred embodiment exceeds a threshold value;

FIG. 11 is a schematic explaining a process executed when a command is received during medium scan;

FIG. 12 is a schematic explaining a process executed when a replacement sector is included in a medium scan range;

FIG. 13 is a schematic explaining a process executed when a replacement cylinder is included in a medium scan range;

FIG. 14 is a schematic explaining a process executed when a medium scan range is changed during medium scan according to the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a schematic explaining a process with which a disk device according to a second preferred embodiment monitors the state of an access from a host computer;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a write process to a magnetic disk, according to the second preferred embodiment; and

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a medium scan process according to the second preferred embodiment.

Claims

1. A disk device, which executes a write process for writing to a storage medium information transmitted from an upper device by request from the upper device, comprising: a medium monitoring unit for monitoring a state of the storage medium to which the information is written by the write process;a medium scan determining unit for determining whether or not to require medium scan according to the state of the storage medium; anda medium scan unit for making the medium scan for a storage medium that said medium scan determining unit determines to require the medium scan.

2. The disk device according to claim 1, wherein: said medium monitoring unit counts the number of times of the write process from the upper device to the storage medium for each of a predetermined number of partitions into which the storage medium is segmented; andsaid medium scan determining unit determines a partition, the write process number of times to which is larger than a predetermined number of times, to be a target of the medium scan.

3. The disk device according to claim 2, wherein said medium scan determining unit determines a partition, the write process number of times to which is larger than the predetermined number of times, and a predetermined region contiguous to the partition to be a target of the medium scan.

4. The disk device according to claim 1, wherein: said medium monitoring unit updates an access range including a region to which the write process is executed and counts the number of times of the write process, each time the write process to the storage medium is executed; andsaid medium scan determining unit determines the access rage to be a target of the medium scan if the number of times of the write process to the storage medium is larger than a predetermined number of times.

5. The disk device according to claim 4, wherein said medium scan determining unit determines a region of the access range and a predetermined region contiguous to the access range to be a target of the medium scan.

6. The disk device according to claim 1, wherein: said medium monitoring unit updates an access range including a region to which the write process is executed and measures an elapsed time from when access monitoring starts, each time the write process to the storage medium is executed; andsaid medium scan determining unit determines a medium scan range to be a target of the medium scan if the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined time.

7. The disk device according to claim 6, wherein said medium scan determining unit determines a region of the access range and a predetermined region contiguous to the access range to be a target of the medium scan.

8. A medium scan method for use in a disk device, which executes a write process for writing to a storage medium information transmitted from an upper device by request from the upper device, comprising: causing the disk device to execute a medium monitoring process for monitoring a state of the storage medium to which the information is written by the write process;causing the disk device to execute a medium scan determining process for determining whether or not to require medium scan according to the state of the storage medium; andcausing the disk device to execute a medium scan process for making the medium scan for a storage medium that the medium scan determining process determines to require the medium scan.

9. The medium scan method according to claim 8, wherein the medium monitoring process counts the number of times of the write process from the upper device to the storage medium for each of a predetermined number of partitions into which the storage medium is segmented; andthe medium scan determining process determines a partition, the write process number of times to which is larger than a predetermined number of times, to be a target of the medium scan.

10. The medium scan method according to claim 8, wherein: the medium monitoring process updates an access range including a region to which the write process is executed and counts the number of times of the write process, each time the write process to the storage medium is executed; andthe medium scan determining process determines the access range to be a target of the medium scan if the number of times of the write process to the storage medium is larger than a predetermined number of times.

11. The medium scan method according to claim 8, wherein: the medium monitoring process updates an access range including a region to which the write process is executed and measures an elapsed time from when access monitoring starts, each time the write process to the storage medium is executed; andthe medium scan determining process determines the access range to be a target of the medium scan if the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined time.

12. A scan controller, comprising: a medium monitoring unit for monitoring a state of a storage medium to which information is written by a write process for writing to the storage medium the information transmitted from an upper device by request from the upper device;a medium scan determining unit for determining whether or not to require medium scan according to the state of the storage medium; anda medium scan unit for making the medium scan for a storage medium that said medium scan determining unit determines to require the medium scan.

13. The scan controller according to claim 12, wherein: said medium monitoring unit counts the number of times of the write process from the upper device to the storage medium for each of a predetermined number of partitions into which the storage medium is segmented; andsaid medium scan determining unit determines a partition, the write process number of times to which is larger than a predetermined number of times, to be a target of the medium scan.

14. The scan controller according to claim 13, wherein said medium scan determining unit determines a partition whose the write process number of times to which is larger than the predetermined number of times, and a predetermined region contiguous to the partition to be a target of the medium scan.

15. The scan controller according to claim 12, wherein: said medium monitoring unit updates an access range including a region to which the write process is executed and counts the number of times of the write process, each time the write process to the storage medium is executed; andsaid medium scan determining unit determines the access range to be a target of the medium scan if the number of times of the write process to the storage medium is larger than a predetermined number of times.

16. The scan controller according to claim 15, wherein said medium scan determining unit determines a region of the access range and a predetermined region contiguous to the access range to be a target of the medium scan.

17. The scan controller according to claim 12, wherein: said medium monitoring unit updates an access range including a region to which the write process is executed and measures an elapsed time from when access monitoring starts, each time the write process to the storage medium is executed; andsaid medium scan determining unit determines a medium scan range to be a target of the medium scan if the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined time.

18. The scan controller according to claim 17, wherein said medium scan determining unit determines a region of the access range and a predetermined region contiguous to the access range to be a target of the medium scan.